


False Gods

by Settiai



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: atlantis_lvw, Friendship, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-16
Updated: 2006-08-16
Packaged: 2017-10-03 09:43:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settiai/pseuds/Settiai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It started out as an innocent case of mistaken identity.</p>
            </blockquote>





	False Gods

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for Atlantis: Last Visible Writer.

"I still can't believe you told those monks we were Ancients," John Sheppard muttered.

Next to him, Rodney McKay let out a sigh. "For the last time, what else was I supposed to say?" he shot back. "It's not my fault that all of the Ancient technology in this place started lighting up as soon as we walked in the door. There wasn't any sign of a power source. I didn't think this was anything more than some Ancient ruins that the locals had turned into a temple."

John rolled his eyes. "That doesn't explain why you said 'yes' when they asked us if we were Ancestors," he pointed out.

For several seconds, Rodney didn't say a word. Then he shrugged his shoulders. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," he admitted.

John just raised an eyebrow. "A good idea?" he repeated. "How could telling them we were Ancients possibly have seemed like a good idea?"

"Well, for one thing, there's obviously something powering this place," Rodney snapped, a hint of hysteria building in his voice as he went on. "Since none of our equipment has picked up any kind of power source, getting the monks to tell us where the power's coming from could be vital."

John let out a sigh. "McKay."

Rodney didn't even pause. "Everything we saw made it seem like they thought the Ancients were gods or something, so I thought that passing ourselves off as their deities might have gotten us access to whatever they've got buried inside this place."

Shaking his head, John raised his voice an octave. "McKay!"

"It was a logical conclusion," Rodney continued, not even glancing in John's direction. "I mean, pretty much every civilization we've come across has worshiped the Ancients as gods. It was a reasonable assumption that these monks wouldn't be any different."

"Rodney!"

At that, Rodney finally shut up and turned his attention toward the other man. John held up as his hands, causing the chains wrapped around them to clang noisily. "Guess what, McKay," he said dryly, "I don't think these guys think we're gods."

Rodney gave him an exasperated look, with just a hint of panic mixed in. "Really? Where could you possibly have gotten an idea like that?" he asked. "Was it when they chained us up? Or maybe when they started talking about sacrificing us to the Wraith."

"Actually, it was when Ronon refused to come inside because he didn't trust their leader," John replied matter-of-factly.

Rodney blinked. "Oh."

John carefully tested the chains binding his hands together. "We're going to be getting out of here anytime now," he said casually. "It'll probably involve running for our lives. Again."

"Tell me, colonel, how could you possibly know that we're going to be getting out of here soon?"

John grinned at him. "You weren't listening to the two guys who tied us up?" he asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"No, sorry," Rodney snapped. "I tuned out around the time they mentioned sacrificing us."

The colonel's grin only grew wider. "They were going to go ask that Ronon and Teyla turn over all of their weapons."

Rodney opened his mouth to comment, but he closed it as John's words sank in. "Oh," he said in a surprisingly quiet voice.

Somewhere outside their cell's door, there was a loud crash followed by an angry yell that couldn't have come from anyone but Ronon.

John leaned back against the wall and rested his hands behind his head the best he could. "Here comes the cavalry," he said, still grinning.


End file.
